{"id":25408,"date":"2017-06-01T14:11:07","date_gmt":"2017-06-01T18:11:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=25408"},"modified":"2017-06-01T17:38:10","modified_gmt":"2017-06-01T21:38:10","slug":"alien-covenant-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/01\/alien-covenant-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Alien: Covenant (2017)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>With \u201cPrometheus<\/span>\u201d Ridley Scott met<\/span> the other<\/span> side<\/span> of his \u201cAlien<\/span>\u201d mythology by visiting the very<\/span> early<\/span> dawn<\/span> of his universe<\/span> that saw<\/span> the very<\/span> evolution<\/span> of his xenomorphs. After it hit<\/span> with a thud<\/span> resembling a wet<\/span> diaper<\/span> smashing<\/span> in to a garbage<\/span> can, Scott hits<\/span> the other<\/span> extreme<\/span> by delivering a movie<\/span> in the vein<\/span> of \u201cPrometheus<\/span>\u201d that’s just<\/span> as flat<\/span> and just<\/span> as stupid<\/span>. Director<\/span> Ridley Scott has<\/span> lost<\/span> the grasp<\/span> of his own<\/span> film<\/span> and has<\/span> really<\/span> failed<\/span> to learn<\/span> how to deliver<\/span> a well<\/span> measured<\/span> and compelling horror<\/span> tale<\/span> teeming<\/span> with themes<\/span> about sexuality<\/span> and human<\/span> biology<\/span>. Instead<\/span> now<\/span> he gets<\/span> to literally have<\/span> his cake<\/span> and eat it too<\/span>, by offering<\/span> up a ham<\/span> fisted goofy<\/span> prequel that feels<\/span> like a glorified<\/span> fan<\/span> film<\/span>. All the while<\/span> also<\/span> continuing<\/span> his descent<\/span> in to pseudo-intellectualist allegories<\/span> and on the nose<\/span> metaphors about God, the Devil, Heaven, Paradise, evolution<\/span> and birth.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It’s all about as clumsily delivered<\/span> as it was<\/span> in \u201cPrometheus<\/span>\u201d with even<\/span> more moronic characters<\/span> we would root<\/span> for if they were<\/span>n’t such numbskulls lacking<\/span> basic<\/span> common<\/span> sense<\/span>. Rather<\/span> than bring<\/span> us through the evolution<\/span> of the xenomorphs as some sort<\/span> of grand<\/span> unveiling<\/span> of very<\/span> crucial<\/span> science<\/span> fiction<\/span> monsters<\/span>, Scott this time<\/span> pumps the gas<\/span> in a crash<\/span> course<\/span> in how the Xenomorphs evolved<\/span>. Rather<\/span> than being<\/span> some inexplicable<\/span> anomaly of nature that popped up in space<\/span>, the xenomorphs end<\/span> up being<\/span> very<\/span> calculated<\/span> creations<\/span> of an android with a God complex<\/span>. Ridley Scott almost<\/span> seems<\/span> to be<\/span> riffing<\/span> on the ideas<\/span> presents<\/span> in \u201cEx<\/span> Machina\u201d when he is<\/span>n’t winking<\/span> to classic<\/span> scenes<\/span> of \u201cAlien<\/span>\u201d and \u201cAliens<\/span>.\u201d How do<\/span> you define<\/span> life<\/span>? How does<\/span> one choose what deserves life in this universe<\/span>?<\/p>\n

Can<\/span> cognizance<\/span> of ones<\/span> own<\/span> purpose<\/span> negate the idea<\/span> of life<\/span>? And if a being<\/span> or species<\/span> is<\/span> so<\/span> utterly<\/span> deadly<\/span> and destructive does<\/span> that mean<\/span> it does<\/span>n’t deserve<\/span> a chance<\/span> to flourish<\/span> and evolve<\/span>? Alex Garland observed<\/span> these themes<\/span> with much more entertainment<\/span> value and insight<\/span>, while Scott stomps around with these ideas<\/span> that are<\/span> so<\/span> painfully<\/span> on the nose<\/span> and clumsy. He just<\/span> draws<\/span> out moments<\/span> intended<\/span> to spark<\/span> ideas<\/span> about the dichotomy<\/span> of androids<\/span> David and Walter, and the notion<\/span> of evolution<\/span>, and the pacing<\/span> shifts<\/span> back<\/span> and forth from breakneck to plodding<\/span>. To its credit<\/span>, \u201cAlien<\/span>: Covenant\u201d does<\/span> succeed<\/span> in offering<\/span> some grisly and truly<\/span> memorable scenes<\/span> with a lot<\/span> of vicious<\/span> gore<\/span> that kept<\/span> the film<\/span> interesting<\/span>, if only<\/span> for a moment<\/span>. It’s just<\/span> the pay<\/span> off of grue and gore<\/span> that eventually<\/span> looks<\/span> familiar<\/span> to \u201cAlien<\/span>\u201d fans<\/span>, can’t compensate<\/span> for everything else.<\/p>\n

The characters<\/span> are<\/span> so<\/span> paper<\/span> thin and interchangeable<\/span> right<\/span> down to heroine Daniels and impromptu captain<\/span> Christopher. Katherine Waterston is<\/span> okay<\/span> in her role<\/span> but is<\/span> never<\/span> allowed<\/span> to flourish<\/span> or grow<\/span>, and eventually<\/span> just<\/span> feels<\/span> like an uber-Ripley sans the personality and charisma. I never<\/span> cared<\/span> about any character<\/span> here<\/span> and hard<\/span> as I tried<\/span> I never<\/span> built<\/span> enough<\/span> antipathy toward to David to consider<\/span> him a menacing<\/span> or disturbing<\/span> villain<\/span>. \u201cAlien<\/span>: Covenant\u201d loses<\/span> momentum<\/span> mid-way shifting<\/span> to auto<\/span> pilot<\/span> as Scott delivers nothing but scenes<\/span> that hearken<\/span> back<\/span> to \u201cAlien<\/span>\u201d and \u201cAliens<\/span>\u201d all the while<\/span> he shifts<\/span> his xenomorphs from genuine science<\/span> fiction<\/span> enemies<\/span> in to secondary<\/span> plot<\/span> devices<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlien<\/span>: Covenant” could very<\/span> well<\/span> have<\/span> re-constructed the universe<\/span> Scott established<\/span> decades<\/span> ago while also<\/span> adding<\/span> a new<\/span> flair<\/span> to the Xenomorphs. Instead<\/span>, he once<\/span> again wades<\/span> in dull philosophy<\/span> and cheap fan<\/span> service<\/span> that lends<\/span> weight to the fact that there is<\/span> nowhere left<\/span> to go<\/span> with this series<\/span>.<\/p>\n

It’s time<\/span> these studios put<\/span> the aliens<\/span>, predators<\/span>, and terminators<\/span> in to hibernation, already.<\/p>\n